Subgrade runway



e Patented Mayl 8, 1928.

- :UNITED STATES; PATENT ,ori-fics.

MATTHEW RBRAMLEY, oromavnmiiv1o,pomo.y

sUBeRAnn RUNWAY.

Apielieetion mea June k2, 1926, semaine. 113,239. Renewed December s1, 1927.

My invention pertains to a sub-grade runwayandmore particularly to a detachably ,p articulated series of duplicated structures comprising two parallel upwardly flanged tracks for the passage of truck wheels.

, My business of street paving has encountered a lawrequiring thefuse of sub grade runways for the purpose of prevent ing the formation of ruts by the wheels of vehicles which 'deliver the paving material along the course of the road way lbeing built. The growing traffic of lateyears has made more and more important the fulfillment of the specifications as to thickness of thc 'foundation for paved roads irrespective of the upper surface material. If the trucks which deliver the road building material be permitted to cut up the surface ofthe subgrade, forming ground the consequent rats and ridges, if not rele-veled, will, of course,

result in a foundation, especially if infy tribute the weight of delivery truck over an area of sufficient breadth to prevent disruption of the sub-surface-grade. Another object is to provide. a structure of duplicated assembly units which will facilitate their transportation to and from a given job as well as their manipulation at a particular site so that the length of the runway may be progressively extended .or shifted. A further object has been the design of sufficiently economical units and which while adequately strong will be of minimum weight and the interconnection thereof so simple as to be obvious to an unskilled laborer.

I realize that the scope of my invention comprehends many equivalent methods and constructions. The showing of the drawings and the particular description are merely s ecific. exemplifications of a plurality of mechanical embodiments and arrangements.

Adverting to the drawings:

Figure l is an end elevation of my com! plete runway.

Figure 2 is'an enlargedend view ofone duplicate side, of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a. broken plan view showing the manner of effecting a dowel pin and socket connection between the ends of two parts of the runway.

Figure et is al side view of a coupling ele-V Vgitudinal edges, with upwardly projecting flanges 5. The flanges 5 will be observed to be of greater size and preferably diverge slightly as they proceed upwardly. One pair of corresponding ends of the flanges 5 are fashioned at the top as sockets 6, whereas the other pair of upper end portions of the flanges 5 are fashioned as tenons 7, one of which is illustrated in Figure 5. The sockets 6 may be formed `by looping the upper edges in the form of an eye in crossseotion thereby incidentally reinforcing. The tenon 7 may be secured in any appropriate manner in two corresponding ends of the socket 6, as for instance, by spot welding. It will be understood that the. two tenons 7 will be so spaced and of a size to fit in the sockets 6.

`One end of each plank is confined within a U shaped channel iron 8, see Figure 3, having a pair of spaced openings which register with a pair of sockets 9 in the end of the plank. AThe channels 8 are secured to the plank by a duplex eye bolt l0. The opposite end of each plank is enclosed within a U shaped channel iron 11 which carries a pair of dowel pins 12 adapted to occupy the sockets 9. The channels 11 are similarly secured to the plank by duplex eye bolts 13. As will now be readily understood one end of each plank is adaptedv for interlocking connection with a complementary end of yanother plank so that any number may be arranged into parallelly extending rows as lll shown in Figure 1. Afterthe dowel pinsH i1. In a. sub-grade runway the combina- 12 occupy the sockets 9 clips or hooks 14 aretion of upwardly flanged structures a1:-

elnployed having a pair of extremities 15 adapted to intersect the eyes 10a and 13a of the bolts 1() and 13 thereby maintaining the end to end connection. It is to be noticed that my end to end connection provides a duplex tongue and groove connection not only laterally, but in a direction from top to bottom. Y

The two parallel composite runways should, of course, be held a proper distance apartand for this purpose I provide the planks 1 at intervals with other bolts 1G having eyes 17 on the inner or opposed sides of the planks. Rods 418 of appropriate length are fashioned at each end with hooks 19 which intersect the eyes 17. The duplicated assembly units will permit of quick attachment and detachment and extension or curtailment oi' the length of the double K runway to meet varying needs.

I claim:

. ranged end to end and provided with a.

:" duplex tongue and socket connection.

2. In a sub-grade runway the combination of structures arranged end to end and provided with a duplex tongue and socket `connectionboth laterally and in a direction from top to bottom, and means for maintaining the connections between said structures.

3. In a sub-grade runway the combination of a pair of structures arranged end to end and provided on each side with upwardly projecting flanges adapted near their tops for tongue and socket connection, another pair of structures similarly connected and spacer elen'xents detachably connecting the sides of said endwise connected pairs oi structures.

Signed by me, this 12 day of May, 1926.

MATTHEW F. BRAMLEY. 

